Dallas ? SMU coach Phil Bennett was fired Sunday, a day after the Mustangs lost 29-23 at Tulsa and were eliminated from bowl contention. Bennett, who is 18-48 in six seasons, will finish out the season, athletic director Steve Orsini said.

“I appreciate Phil’s efforts here at SMU, but I felt it was time for a change,” Orsini said in a statement.

The Mustangs are 1-7 with four games remaining. They play at Houston on Sunday.

Bennett was reportedly close to losing his job after the 2005 season, but won the last three to finish 5-6. He signed an extension in January 2006 that put him under contract through the 2009 season.

But that was before Orsini came aboard as athletic director and began to put his mark on the program. His first big move was to hire former North Carolina basketball coach Matt Doherty.